Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015. Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword realtime Or view Homers posting history .) To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homers profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.

On the Eastern Front... In Stalingrad, using heavy air support and five divisions, the Germans nearly break through Soviet resistance at the Tractor Factory. The Soviets are reinforced with a Guards Division. The Tractor Factory remains in Soviet hands.

From Berlin... Hitler orders a halt to all offensive action on the Eastern Front, except at Stalingrad and in a small area of the Caucasus along the Terek River.

In the Solomon Islands... On Guadalcanal, despite the damage from the night’s shelling by the Japanese, American aircraft take off from Henderson Field. They damage three Japanese transports unloading at Tassafaronga.

In New Guinea... The Australians and Japanese engage heavily on the Kokado Trail at Templeton’s Crossing.

In the English Channel... A British naval force finds and sinks the German raider Komet.

5
posted on 10/14/2012 4:43:18 AM PDT
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

SC-302 is sunk by depth charges south of Porkkala by Tupolev SB-2 code SB-10 from 2/LeLv 6. (Sergey Anisimov and Mikko Härmeinen)(69)

Stalingrad: The Wehrmacht launched yet another massive assault on Stalingrad today, with three infantry divisions and two Panzer divisions deployed on a three-mile front. The sky has been full of German aircraft bombing and strafing almost constantly, over 3,000 sorties have been flown against these targets by von Richthofen’s Luftlotte 7. (Jack McKillop)

In the city the Germans’ main objectives have been the Dzerzhinsky tractor factory, which fell today and the Barrikady gun factory. The ground outside these buildings is littered with German dead, caught by an artillery and katyusha barrage as they prepared to attack. Fighting is going on inside the battered, burning buildings. Workshops have become battlefields. The enemies are so close that they can hear each others’ breathing. They crawl towards each other. Then in go the grenades. There is a rattle of gunfire, the deadly lick of a flame-thrower, screams of agony and another room is cleared.

The slaughter is terrible. Some divisions of the Russian 62nd Army have been wiped out. The 13th Guards exists in name only. Units formed from poorly-trained civilians have taken appalling casualties, but the survivors have become expert street fighters.

Vinnitsa: Hitler orders the suspension of all activity on the eastern front except for Stalingrad and the Terek river in the Caucasus.

NEW GUINEA: Fifth Air Force B-25 Mitchells attack Lae, a bridge 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Port Moresby, and the area of the Wairopi bridge; on the Kokoda trail Japanese offer fierce resistance to the Australian 7th Division’s drive on the Kokoda Trail in the vicinity of Templeton Crossing; and Fifth Air Force aircraft begin flying a force of Australians and Americans to Wanigela. (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: At 0130 hrs ‘Louie the Louse’ a Japanese observation plane wakes the US forces on Guadalcanal. The Japanese battleships Kongo and Haruna pass Savo Island and slow to 18 knots. Louie brackets Henderson Field with flares and at 29,500 yards Kongo fires her first salvo, Haruna soon follows. The other ships of the force, the light cruiser HIJMS Isuzu, and 7 destroyers, also bombard the island. The Japanese sailors topside are reminded of a fireworks display. This continues until 0256 hours. They fired 973 shells and were opposed by the 5” coast defence guns on Guadalcanal and 4 motor torpedo boats PT-60, PT-38, PT-46 and PT-48 (Lieutenant Commander Alan R. Montgomery) from Tulagi. Destroyer HIJMS Naganami turns back the motor torpedo boats. The attacks of the PTs were assumed by Admiral Kurita to be his screen detecting a submarine.

The damage is widespread around Henderson Field and Fighter One and includes 48 of 90 planes and fuel stocks at the field, putting the facility temporarily out of action. The men of the Army’s 164th Infantry Regiment have spent their first night on Guadalcanal wondering if this is like all nights there.

The Japanese have sent their battleships to bombard Henderson Field and destroy more than half the aircraft of the Cactus Air Force. This destruction will allow the successful resupply of their forces on Guadalcanal. They have a supply convoy coming down the slot. It will arrive this evening.

During the morning Admiral Fitch sends 17 SBD at Espiritu Santo and 20 Wildcats to Henderson Field. He also organizes an airlift of fuel using C-47/R4D aircraft carrying 10 55 gallon drums each.

The IJN resupply convoy consisting of 6 transports and 8 destroyer transports is sighted in the afternoon and 4 SBDs of Scouting Squadron Three (VS-3) and 3 P-400 Airacobras attack at 1445 hours but score no hit.

At 1745 hours, 7 SBDs, 6 P-39s and P-400s, refueled from gasoline found in a damaged B-17, attack but again score no hits; a P—400 is shot down by AA fire and another crashes on landing. These attacks do not stop the convoy which reaches Guadalcanal at midnight along with another run of the Tokyo Express.

During the day, 12 SBDs of Bombing Squadron Six (VB-6) in USS Enterprise (CV-6) are dispatched to Guadalcanal for service with the Cactus Air Force from Fighter One airfield. Meanwhile, due to the low fuel supply, the B-17s that had been based at Guadalcanal are withdrawn to Espirtu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands.

Also during the day, the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-7 shells Espiritu Santo. This follows the reconnaissance flight by the submarine-based aircraft yesterday.

On Vella Lavella Islands, Australian coastwatchers are landed on the coast of Vella Lavella Island by the USN submarine USS (SS-207). (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The Eleventh Air Force dispatches 9 B-24 Liberators, 6 B-26 Marauders, a B-17 Flying Fortress and 12 P-38 Lightnings to bomb and strafe Kiska Island installations and shipping; fire bombs are dropped on hangars and the Main Camp area where a large fire is started; 2 torpedo attacks on shipping in Gertrude Cove score no hits; the P-38s destroy 3 floatplanes on water; a P-38 is shot down. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: Minesweeper USS Sheldrake is commissioned.

Minesweeper USS Candid is launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-69 torpedoes Newfoundland Railway Fleet steamship Caribou in the Cabot Strait on the North Sydney-Port-au-Basques route; 137 lives lost. In spite of this the Battle of St. Lawrence is rapidly ending after taking 700 lives, 23 ships.

After an attack on convoy SC-104, U-607 was attacked by the convoy escort HMS Viscount, and was so badly damaged by depth charges that she returned to base.

Homer’s father is still pulling sentry duty as an MP back at Camp Knight in Oakland and doesn’t know for sure what his future holds. But after the Buna campaign, shown on today’s new map, the 128th infantry regiment will need many replacements. Homer’s father is destined to be one.

8
posted on 10/14/2012 5:01:15 AM PDT
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

On page 3 there is a mention of a twin-engine Focke-wulf being shot down around the Solomon. Any idea what that was? I don’t see that Focke-Wulf made anything like that which could have been in that place and time.

On page 3 there is a mention of a twin-engine Focke-wulf being shot down around the Solomon. Any idea what that was? I dont see that Focke-Wulf made anything like that which could have been in that place and time.

No help here. I don't recall if we have any aircraft specialists on the class roster so I will just forward the question to some of the usual suspects.

16
posted on 12/14/2012 10:24:04 AM PST
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

I’m going to say that this appears to be a case of aircraft mis-identification. There was a strong inclination at the beginning of the war to believe that the Japanese were a primitive people only capable of slavishly copying the work of advanced western aircraft developers. However, by this time most American pilots had developed a healty respect for Japan’s home grown aircraft industry.

To my knowledge, Focke-Wulf did not export any aircraft to Japan, nor were any Focke-Wulf designs manufactured by license in Japanese factories. In addition, I am not aware of any twin-engined Focke-Wulf aircraft in the German inventory. They did develop a prototyoe FW-187, but it lost out in the bidding to the Me 110 and was never mass produced.

TalonDJ: "On page 3 there is a mention of a twin-engine Focke-wulf being shot down around the Solomon. Any idea what that was?"

henkster: "To my knowledge, Focke-Wulf did not export any aircraft to Japan, nor were any Focke-Wulf designs manufactured by license in Japanese factories. In addition, I am not aware of any twin-engined Focke-Wulf aircraft in the German inventory."

"The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu ("Eagle Owl") was a German twin-engine, twin-boom, three-seat tactical reconnaissance and army cooperation aircraft. It first flew in 1938 (Fw 189 V1), entered service in 1940, and was produced until mid-1944. Not to be confused with the Heinkel night fighter of the same name.

"Called the 'Flying Eye' of the German army, the Fw 189 was used extensively on the Eastern Front with great success. Its Russian nickname was 'Rama' (Frame), referring to its distinctive tailboom shape.

"Despite its slow speed and fragile looks, the Fw 189's maneuverability made it a difficult target for attacking Russian fighters. When attacked, the Fw 189 was often able to out-turn attacking fighters by simply flying in a tight circle into which enemy fighters could not follow."

So, sounds just like something the Japanese might appreciate against less maneuverable US fighters. But no record of any numbers ever shipped to Japan.

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